The dawn air slipped through the slightly opened window, circulating within, but that was far from enough to lighten the heavy atmosphere inside the car.
It was the first time in his life that Kang Sihyun felt a space could be so suffocating.
After dropping off Jihye at the guild, only Haehyuk, Kang Sihyun, and Haeun remained in the car, where not a sound other than breathing was exchanged.
No glances, no conversation.
There were no casual greetings asking if everything went well or if there were any issues, nor any pressing questions about what had happened. This departure from the usual, especially from Haehyuk, left Kang Sihyun to bear the heavy mood alone.
Normally, they would have inquired about any incidents in Egypt or if any American guilds were causing trouble.
'If it were any other time,' a fleeting thought crossed his mind, making the lack of their usual banter somehow feel missed today.
Feeling heavy like he was drowning and a tightness in his chest, Kang Sihyun sighed and glanced at Haehyuk through the rearview mirror. The man, holding his breath, finally spoke up after a glance in the mirror.
"You don't need to be so cautious."
As if it was easy not to be.
Ambiguous kindness like this was always the most uncomfortable.
Swallowing words he couldn't dare utter, Kang Sihyun rolled his eyes.
Everything felt heavy. Haeun lying in front, Haehyuk driving, everything in the car felt suffocatingly heavy, so instead of responding, Kang Sihyun chose to rest his head against the window and close his eyes.
Sleep did not come, but watching the darkness provided a strange sense of rest.
"Wake me up when we arrive."
"Going to sleep?"
"A bit, I'm tired. We just got back."
"Alright."
Take some rest in the meantime.
After a moment, Haehyuk silently accepted Kang Sihyun's request.
***
Returning to Haehyuk's home after a long while, everything seemed unchanged from last time, despite over a year having passed. The basic layout had not altered. Having heard he practically lives at the guild now, it truly felt like a space devoid of any human warmth.
Whether it was because he consistently had cleaning services or not, the house felt lifeless, though spotlessly clean. Haehyuk carried Haeun to a room to lie down and then led Kang Sihyun into the living room. Sitting in the stark contrast of black and white space, Kang Sihyun silently regarded the man seated before him.
Haehyuk was the first to break the silence.
"I've heard the gist of it from Uiheon, but it seems that's not enough. Could you tell me in more detail what happened?"
It seemed he had been waiting to ask.
Eager to report and save Haeun, Kang Sihyun started, "Let me start from when we arrived at the pyramid."
As he succinctly relayed the long story, focusing on the main points, Haehyuk crossed his legs and rested his hands on his knees, tapping his knee joint with his fingers, the only sound in the quiet house.
"From what you've told me, it doesn't seem like there was a specific reason for choosing Haeun as a sacrifice, right?"
"He intended to offer everyone who entered the pyramid as a sacrifice, so while there might be differences in sequence, there wasn't in the target."
It was just bad luck.
Haeun, being a Buffer, would be the least capable of defending himself if isolated, making him the easiest target and thus the first chosen as a sacrifice.
Regret that he should have stayed by his side came flooding back. The fact Haehyuk pointed out seemed to accuse him of being powerless and making a judgment error, causing Kang Sihyun's head to gradually lower until Haehyuk spoke again.
"There's no end to regrets."
"......"
"If it's something that's happened and can't be changed, then don't think about it anymore. Thoughts lead to worries, and worries make a person waver."
It was a moment not to be shaken.
It sounded like advice to himself as much as it was to Kang Sihyun, who could only nod, knowing only Haehyuk truly understood which it was.
Nothing was incorrect.
Now was not the time to drown in regret and sorrow, but to act to save Haeun.
"So, what's the method the voice mentioned to save Haeun?"
Kang Sihyun shared the story he hadn't disclosed to the American team or Uiheon, for in Korea, Haehyuk was his greatest ally.
Touching his neck, he felt the mark still on his white skin, his mind racing through the events from the first marking to the shocking revelations from Russ, as if it were just yesterday, yet here he was
at the fourth marking.
He hadn't thought it would go this far.
Reminiscing about the entrance ceremony where he did everything possible to avoid standing out, a self-deprecating smile slipped out.
"Something amusing?"
"No, not really. Just."
Just that.
After giving a vague response, Kang Sihyun lowered his hand and straightened up, looking directly into Haehyuk's eyes.
"I need to undergo another marking."
"Another marking?"
"Yes. I've been told that to save Haeun, all cores must be unlocked through the fourth marking. It seems it's not me but the voice that will save him."
As when they defeated Dekumanus.
Revealing this memoryless event, Haehyuk nodded as if he understood. It didn't take long for the man who had been fiddling with his toes to stand up.
Haehyuk put on his coat again, grabbed his phone, and straightened his clothes.
"Wait here, Kang Sihyun. I need to get the device from the association for the marking. You don't like disturbances, right?"
"I'll leave it to you."
He didn't want the news of the fourth marking to spread and cause hassle. Protecting guild members was, after all, Guild Leader Haehyuk's job. Without feeling any particular debt, Kang Sihyun let Haehyuk handle the matter, and he quickly left the house.
Now, only two people remained in the unnecessarily large house.
-Quite a strong man.
No, perhaps three.
The presence of the voice meant waiting for Haehyuk wouldn't be boring.
'The person I just met?'
-Yes.
The voice calmly affirmed. Kang Sihyun, to distract himself from focusing too much on Haeun lying in the room, concentrated as much as he could on the voice he heard.
'What do you think, if that person and I fought, who would win?'
-Weren't you in a cooperative relationship?
'Just hypothetically.'
-You would lose.
'Is that so.'
-But once the fourth core is opened, 'I' will win.
The voice remained confident. After exchanging a few more trivial conversations, the door lock opened, and Haehyuk, who had gone to the association, returned. He was holding the marking device. It seemed he had returned in just over thirty minutes, perhaps using teleportation on the way.
"You're back early."
"I rushed as much as I could. We just need the device for the marking, right?"
As Haehyuk walked into the living room, removing his coat and setting up the device on the desk, Kang Sihyun nodded, having heard no specific conditions, and placed his hand over the device.
"But what class will you choose for the marking?"
The moment Haehyuk asked, Kang Sihyun felt a moment of regret. He had only thought about needing to undergo the marking, not which class to choose, ending his sentence abruptly. He regretted not discussing the next marking with the voice during their inconsequential chatter.
-Archer
'What?'
-Become an Archer.
An Archer of all things.
It was an unfamiliar class. Kang Sihyun thought sniping would be better and tried to persuade the voice, but it insisted on an Archer. It felt strange to demand an Archer out of dozens of good classes, but he was in no position to refuse.
Needing the voice's cooperation to save Haeun, Kang Sihyun sighed and clicked his tongue.
"It seems I've decided."
"Yes."
"What will it be?"
"An Archer."
"An Archer?"
Look at that. Even Haehyuk finds it odd.
An old-fashioned class popped up unexpectedly, and Haehyuk blinked in surprise. It was rare for him to look so innocently puzzled. After a moment of silence, Haehyuk took a deep breath and tapped the marking device.
"Well, there must be a reason for it."
His conclusion was ultimately similar to Kang Sihyun's. Nodding in agreement, Kang Sihyun locked eyes with Haehyuk for a moment before proceeding with the marking to the rhythm of the blinking man.
-Finally.
The voice murmured as if it had been waiting a very long time. Regardless, Kang Sihyun, breaking out in cold sweat, watched the glowing device before closing his eyes.
Remembering the pain from the third marking, anxiety surged up. Ignoring it forcibly, he pushed through with the Archer class for the fourth marking, feeling the mana violently swirl.
Mana that had been spreading throughout his body suddenly concentrated in one place, moving urgently and roughly like a soldier spotting an enemy.
Thump!
His heart pulsed.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Fast and strong, so loud he thought Haehyuk might hear it, then he felt the core vibrate.
The feeling wasn't unfamiliar, so a look of dismay crossed Kang Sihyun's face.
He gasped, looking pale at Haehyuk, when suddenly his waist bent forward.
"Cough!"
A bitter taste spread in his mouth. Kang Sihyun! Haehyuk's voice seemed far away. Tipping sideways, Kang Sihyun let out a hollow laugh unknowingly.
Ah, I knew this would happen.
The whisper slipped silently between quivering lips.
Somehow, it felt ominous.
And indeed, it was another blackout.
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